BRIAN Sawlsville grew up with aspirations of joining the Army. He graduated from Rochelle Township High School in 2003 and immediately began his service for the United Sates military.
The staff sergeant enjoyed his time in the Army and has many amazing memories from his service. Sawlsville worked as a gunner on a tank and was also a long-range shooter.
While that job taught him how to shoot longer and straighter he acquired many other traits during his six years in service.
“I learned a lot while I was in the Army,” stated Sawlsville. “I learned a lot how to be a leader. I can work hard under pressure. I learned so much about Emergency medical technician(EMT).”
Sawlsville served two tours in Afghanistan and a third in Iraq. During his tour in Iraq in 2007, Sawlsville was going out to an observation point to watch over an area. They were driving in the dark, with no headlights and night vision goggles on for safety. The driver did not see anything in the road and the tank went over an improvised explosive device. The IED blew the truck 15 yards off course. During the explosion Sawlsville’s head smashed into a metal box resulting in a skull fracture and broken teeth. It also caused a vertebrate in his spine to burst leaving him paralyzed from the waist down.
While his recovery has not been easy, Sawlsville is looking forward to a future where he can walk and is continuing to remain active despite being wheelchair bound.
“It was hard! I had to learn how to live life over and from a wheelchair. The hardest thing for me to think about was, I used to be amazing at sports. But the sports I loved, I couldn’t play anymore,” explained Sawlsville.

Sawlsville is 6’3’’ and was used to looking down on people, while in his wheelchair he has had to adjust to looking up at people. He has also learned to play new sports and is pursuing a career in wheelchair sports.
“My time in service has shaped me today to never give up. Whether if I’m doing a Triathlon or just going to the gym,” said Sawlsville.
This year, Sawlsville has begun to walk again with the assistance of ReWalk. Rewalk is a device that the veteran is able to strap himself into and hit a button on his watch. ReWalk will then stand up and start walking.
“ReWalk has been amazing,” exclaimed Sawlsville. “Using ReWalk, it has brought back some movement and feeling. Like every other therapy, I can’t get my hopes up. No one know how the spinal cord heals and recovers.”
Along with being able to stand up and look down on others from his 6’3” frame, Sawlsville hopes to complete a 5K with assistance from Rewalk.

Memories
While Sawlsville has many memories from his time in service, one moment in Iraq stands out as a highlight to him.

“I will always remember about the first time being in Iraq. A little Iraqi girl came up to me and gave me a necklace. At the time, I said ‘shukraan’ which means thank you in Arabic and kept walking,” he explained. “When I got back to the base, I looked at it and it was a St. Christopher pendant that said ‘protect us’.”

Overall, his experience in the Army was great and he enjoyed every minute that he served.
“I think my favorite thing about being in the Army was the friends I made. I still talk to them today,” stated Sawlsville. “Being in the Army, I got to visit so many countries. I met so many people. I got to do jobs that I remembered me and my friends pretending to play when I was a kid. I got to jump out of planes. I got to repel from helicopters.”
Despite an injury that changed the course of Sawlsville’s life, the veteran would rejoin the opportunity if given the chance.
“If you ask any Veteran if they had a redo, would they join the Service? They will all answer yes,” he said “Just because of all the friendship and the people you meet. The amazing, fun things you get to do or the great places you get to visit.”
For Sawlsville, the hardest part of his time in active duty was the unknown. While on leave home he would know he had orders to deploy to Iraq or Afghanistan but was not able to tell friends or family members. In the back of his mind he would wonder if that would be the last time he saw them. He also lost friends while deployed and had to mourn their lives while continuing to work.
Along with the St. Christopher pendant the young girl gave him, Sawlsville received a Purple Heart, Bronze Star, Silver Star, and other military honors that remind him and honor him for his six years of service.
“Veterans Day means a lot to me because we all get to think about, honor, pay respect to all the veterans that has made this country free and proud,” Sawlsville added.